# PairDrop vs paperclip

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | PairDrop | paperclip |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 75/100 | 88/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 86 in File Sharing | #4 of 125 in AI |
| GitHub stars | 11 714 | 108 190 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +255 | +26 826 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 10 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v2026.1012.0 · 12 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | JavaScript | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

paperclip scores 88/100 against 75/100 for PairDrop, so it is the safer default.

paperclip ships more often: 10 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for PairDrop.

If you want the quickest setup, PairDrop is easier to run; paperclip needs more configuration.

paperclip is growing faster right now (+26 826 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [PairDrop](https://selfhost.directory/project/pairdrop) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/pairdrop.md)
- [paperclip](https://selfhost.directory/project/paperclip) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/paperclip.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/pairdrop-vs-paperclip